A Night to Remember
by Runawaybaby555
Summary: With the holidays coming to an end, Hanna and Caleb are going crazy after not seeing each other for nearly a year, and the New Year is looking less and less exciting since they know it just means another year away from each other. But will a little holiday magic bring them together for a New Year's party... and will they be together in time for a kiss when the ball drops?
1. Chapter 1

**Hey guys! So as promised, here is your New Year's Haleb fic. It's going to be about 4 chapters long, and while it's not too heavy on the fluff, it has a very happy ending that I think you'll like! So get a cup of hot chocolate, get nice and comfortable, and enjoy this nice little story for the end of the holidays!**

**Disclaimer: As much as I wish I owned Pretty Little Liars, I do not. If I did, Sparia would have ridden off into the sunset on Paige's rainbow chopper by now and Caleb wouldn't have left Rosewood for a town covered in Instagram filters.**

* * *

A loud, persistent ringing reverberated throughout the room, and Hanna groaned loudly as she rolled over under her linen sheets. In her barely conscious state, she figured the sound would just stop, but once her mind started to wake up, she realized that it required her contact to silence it. Hanna sighed as she shot her arm out from under the covers, slapped her hand down on the 'snooze' button, only to let her arm droop down by the side of the bed, dangling down like the rope of a swingset.

It was New Year's Eve. Normally, she would've been excited for the New Year, and would've taken the time to actually wake up early to fill her house to the brim with streamers, silly hats, and plenty of champagne, while also planning the perfect outfit for when she sat in front of the television to watch the ball drop, casually turning her head to the side at the last count to kiss the person next to her...

But that couldn't happen this year. This was the first year in several years that she was single on New Year's, and she hated it. Not because it was embarrassing; she could deal with that part. But it was mainly because of whom she wished she could be with...

Suddenly, there was a loud creak at the front of the bedroom, and Hanna's eyes shot open like firecrackers. She blinked, taking in her surroundings as three very blurry figures walked before her.

"Told you the alarm wouldn't work," Emily said disappointedly to Spencer, who simply rolled her eyes as she sat at the foot of the bed.

Hanna pulled the covers over her head. So _that's_ who had set her alarm, something Hanna hadn't done since she was... well, something she hadn't done ever.

When Hanna dared to pull the covers back slightly, she immediately wished she hadn't. One small peak outward, and she was met with the recognizable doe eyes, which were far too bright at this time in the morning, that could only belong to Aria.

"Wake up, sleepy head!" Aria said softly, ruffling what was visible of Hanna's tussled blonde hair. "It's New Year's Eve!"

"Don't remind me," Hanna responded glumly as she sank further into her pillows, hoping that if she sank far enough, she would fall straight through, away from her friends.

"But why?" Spencer asked, bouncing slightly at the far edge of the bed. "Don't you want to go out and have fun?"

"No," Hanna said shortly as she took the pillow next to her and hid her face in it, but Aria quickly pulled it out from her hands.

"But there's the party at Paige's house tonight!" she whined.

"Yeah," Emily piped in. "I've spent the entire morning at her house blowing up balloons."

"Well, then you just wasted a shitload of your time," Hanna snapped, surprising the girls with how bitter she sounded. Hanna was usually the chipper one in the bunch when it came to the holidays, but now she was practically the Grinch personified.

Emily frowned, obviously hurt by Hanna's statement. "Why? A ton of people are coming."

"I don't understand the hype over the New Year," Hanna said bluntly. "Like, why do we keep track of time anyway?"

"Well really, when we think of a year, we're thinking of the Earth revolving around the sun," Spencer answered. "But when you take into account the Earth's revolutions before we had even developed an effective tracking system, this is inaccurate, so time isn't what we perceive it to be. It is measured in seconds, hours, and years, but you could measure it in meters or feet if you wanted. There's a formula used to convert the speed of light and how far you've traveled on earth to how far it would've been in space, proving that time travel is – "

"Spence, honey, I don't think Hanna cares," Aria said politely as she rubbed Spencer's back amicably, but then turned her attention back to Hanna without taking Spencer's appalled expression into account. "So what? Does this mean you don't want to go?"

Hanna moaned, pulling the covers back up to her chin. She wasn't even tired; she was just… not into it. "I'll think about it."

"Well, can you think about it over breakfast?" Emily encouraged. "We were going to go to the Brew."

"Why should I travel 5 blocks out of my way when I can make myself a bowl of Cocoa Puffs downstairs?" Hanna pointed out, but the girls were not having it. Spencer got up from the edge of the bed and stripped the sheets off of Hanna in one pull, revealing her in her tight camisole and yoga pants.

Hanna sprung up. "Spencer, what the hell?"

"You are getting out of this room!" she said sternly. "You haven't _moved_ all of winter break – "

"That's a lie!"

"Hanna, the one dent in your mattress is from you getting up Christmas morning, and that was only for, like, an hour," Spencer said exasperatedly. "For God's sake, we are getting you _out_ of this house!"

After another five minutes of arguing over it, Hanna agreed, but refused to do so without pouting her lips like a small child and stubbornly sticking her chin out.

Spencer sighed tiredly, getting off of her knees and standing up tall. "We'll warm the car up for you. Aria, get her something to wear."

Hanna was about to protest that she didn't think Aria, of all people, should be the one picking out her clothes, but she was already on it as Emily and Spencer left the room. Hanna sighed as she rolled off of the bed and slid her feet into a pair of Uggs slippers at the foot of it.

It was going to be a long day.

* * *

Caleb slumped further into his chair by the window of his bedroom, listening to the pitter patter of rain just outside. It was calm, soothing even, yet that was the opposite of what he wanted right now.

He didn't want peace. What he wanted was the near opposite of peace, in the form of long blonde hair, blue eyes, and a fiery heart that longed for mischief.

He put a hand through his long brown hair as he stared down at the picture in front of him, trying to memorize her face. It had been almost a year since he had last seen her, and he had an irrational fear that if he were to see her again, he wouldn't even recognize her. Would she be tanner? Thinner? Would she have gone for a change and dyed her hair brown?

Or worse... would she have a new man on her arm?

Caleb heard a gentle knock on his door, so he looked up. Remy was in the doorway, hair and clothing as wild as ever.

"Happy New Year," she said with a smile, and Caleb let out a hoarse laugh.

"Not until tomorrow," he said morosely, and Remy paused, startled.

"Don't sound too excited," she retorted, throwing sarcasm into the air as she sat down at the coffee table beside his chair, but Caleb turned away from her. As much as he didn't want peace and quiet right now, he wasn't really looking for human companionship, either.

"I'm sorry I can't be more chipper," he said dully. "The holidays just aren't my thing."

"Well, they all end tomorrow," Remy said optimistically, trying to lift his spirits slightly, but Caleb wasn't listening. He had fully tuned her out now to pay attention to the rain, carefully watching as one drop of water snaked it's way down the glass pane and as another closely followed.

How exciting.

Remy sighed. "I have an idea."

"I'm intrigued," Caleb said halfheartedly, still staring out the window.

Remy stood up and walked over to Caleb, crouching down in front of him. "Luke and I were going to go out to lunch, but I want you to come with us."

Upon hearing this, Caleb let out a loud guffaw. "Yeah, right, and be the awkward third wheel?"

"I'll ask him to invite his sister to keep you company," she said with a shrug. "In the meantime, put on some clothes and meet me outside of the house."

Caleb looked down, wondering what was wrong with the sweatpants and burgundy v-neck he was currently wearing, but before he could lift his head to ask her, and also tell her that he really didn't feel like going out today, Remy was gone.

Caleb sighed. _Well, I guess my plans of remaining in a vegetative state the entire day have already failed,_ he thought to himself as he made his way over to the wall mirror, haircomb in hand.

* * *

**Sorry if the Ravenswood characters are a little OOC; I'm kinda guessing at this point since I don't watch the show. But if you liked this first chapter, review/follow/favorite/WHATEVER to let me know, and I'll update again tomorrow night!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Wow, I thoroughly enjoyed your reviews from the last chapter. You guys seem really excited about this story! Shout out to ****Bagilia**** for her perfect timing in entering the scene with her ultra long reviews and infatuation with her Shady Hacker Boy ;) this is for you, babe!**

**Now, this chapter I think is my favorite simply because one of my all time favorite characters in all of television comes into it, and I think about half of you can already guess who it is... So enjoy this chapter, and don't forget to leave a nice little review at the end! Happy New Year's Eve, and Happy New Year to those of you in different time zones!**

* * *

Hanna took a long sip of her caramel macchiato as she tried her hardest to listen to the conversation surrounding her, but she simply couldn't bring herself to. From what she could tell, Spencer was spending the upcoming weekend helping Toby repaint his apartment, Aria was planning on getting tickets for her and Ezra to see a book reading of an author they both loved, and Emily and Paige had a "special evening" planned once the New Year's Eve party was over.

Hanna wanted so badly to care, but she found that she just couldn't. She loved her friends, but she couldn't bare to hear one more exciting detail about their love lives anymore. Especially with where her current one was.

When Hanna decided to leave her thoughts and join the conversation again, she realized she had missed out on a lot. Toby had arrived from his loft and had swept Spencer into a long, passionate kiss, and now he, Spencer, and Aria were having an excited discussion about the upcoming party that evening as Emily left them to take a few more orders from hungry customers.

Hanna inwardly groaned as she delved back into her macchiato. Maybe it wasn't the time to dive back into the conversation _just_ yet.

She wished more than ever that she could have someone beside her to talk about the evening's events.

"Hanna?"

Before she even realized, another minute had passed, and when Hanna poked her head up from her drink once more, she saw Spencer leaning across the table - sans Toby, who had probably left for a carpentry job - with a forehead creased with worry. Hanna blushed. She supposed she was spacing out again.

"Are you alright?" Spencer asked carefully, and when Hanna looked closer, she realized Aria, who was sitting next to Spencer, was giving her an identical look, and Emily, who was standing up, clad in her waitressing apron and balancing a tray of cinnamon buns on her arm, also looked concerned.

Hanna avoided looking the girls in the eye. "Umm... sure," she said conclusively as she stood up, her highlighter green crop top that Aria had picked out for her flowing behind her as she did so. "I'm going to get a refill."

"I can get it for you," Emily offered up, but Hanna walked straight past her, plastic cup in hand.

She was halfway over to the counter when she felt someone grab her arm and spin her around, and when she looked straight out in front of her, she was frustrated to see Emily again.

"I don't know why you guys think I'm incompetent," Hanna snarled. "I can get myself a goddamn refill."

"I _don't_ think you're incompetent, I'm just doing my _job_," Emily snapped back, snatching the cup away from Hanna as she took it behind the counter. Hanna watched, suddenly feeling bad as she realized Emily never raised her voice unless she was truly upset about something, but when she opened her mouth to apologize, Emily simply held up a hand, claiming she didn't have to.

"Don't worry about it," she said understandingly as she turned on the espresso machine and placed the cup under it. Hanna sighed.

"Look, I'm sorry that I've been acting so - "

"It's fine, really," Emily answered honestly as she handed Hanna her fresh coffee over the counter. "Listen, as hard as we try to understand your mood swings, sometimes we just can't, but that doesn't have to be a bad thing."

Hanna stood back, pondering this. "It doesn't?"

Emily shook her head. "We're your friends, not your therapist. We just want to see you feel better, which is why it would really mean a lot to me if you came tonight."

Hanna suddenly couldn't help the warm smile that crept across her face as she instinctively reached across the counter for Emily's hand. "Okay," she said compassionately. "I think I'll make an effort to come."

Emily's chocolate orbs gleamed with happiness at her friend coming, but their exchange was interrupted by the jingle of the bell above the door up front.

Mona Vanderwaal sauntered into the restaurant, a red burette sitting on top of her freshly curled hair and a sequined cream blouse falling gently down her petite frame, which was heightened by a pair of black Jimmy Choos.

"Happy New Year, ladies," Mona beamed as she walked up to the counter with entitlement and helped herself to a cinnamon bun. "Dare I ask what you have planned for the evening?"

"Nothing involving you, that's for sure," Emily muttered under her breath as she took a dish towel and Windex to wipe the counter clean.

Mona merely rolled her eyes. The girls knew she wasn't a part of the A team anymore, but they refused to accept her, so Mona had simply stopped trying.

"Fine then, Fields," Mona said dismissively as she sunk her teeth into her cinnamon bun, chomping through the icy goodness as she continued talking. "I mean, I was _going_ to go into detail on how Noel asked me back out and is taking me to his cabin for New Year's, but _apparently_ you don't want to hear it."

"That is correct," Hanna seethed, narrowing her eyes at Mona with betrayal clear in them, as Mona was just another reminder of how miserable the past year, and most likely the upcoming one, was.

With that, Hanna took her coffee and started out the door, forgetting for a moment that her friends were a few feet away, waiting for her return, but Mona stopped her.

"Oh, I assume someone is bitter that they don't have anyone to kiss the minute the ball drops?"

Hanna's heart sank. Mona wanted to play like that, did she?

"I mean, I'd love to help and all," Mona said matter-of-factly. "You know I'm always up for a threesome, but I doubt I could get Noel to agree - "

"Just stop, Mona," Hanna said coldly, turning back around to face her. "Don't even _pretend_ you feel bad about this."

Mona's almond eyes widened in shock. "What? Why wouldn't I feel bad? It's a _tragedy_ to be single on New Year's!"

"It's an even bigger tragedy knowing you're the cause of it," Hanna said in a low voice, and Mona gasped. In addition, Hanna heard three more gasps, and realized that her friends had been listening in.

_Oh great,_ Hanna complained inwardly, but outwardly she kept going.

"If it weren't for you and your little black hooded cronies, I wouldn't be alone in the first place. My boyfriend would still _be_ here!"

Mona gasped again, but this time she had gotten over her initial shock and was quick to retaliate.

"If you're going to think of it that way, you wouldn't have been in a relationship in the first place if it wasn't for me and my black hooded _ex-_cronies!" she said cleverly.

"I guess everything comes full circle eventually, doesn't it?" Hanna said simply, her eyes in slits as she held her gaze with Mona's. As much as this wasn't Mona's fault at all, Hanna couldn't help but blame it on her. She was tired of taking her anger out on her friends, but she needed to take it out on _someone_.

With an apologetic glance toward each of her friends, who hadn't moved an inch since her showdown with Mona had begun, Hanna made her way out the door, but once again, Mona stopped her.

"Hanna, wait!"

"_Don't_ touch me," Hanna snapped as she stalked down the sidewalk, pulling her polka-dot scarf (again, Aria's choosing) closer around her neck to protect herself from the nippy air, but Mona was persistent.

"I'm sorry about Caleb moving," Mona finally said, her words sailing through the air, as if they were riding the wind waves and wafting their way into Hanna's ears, and Hanna froze.

For the first time that day, she was _involuntarily_ speechless.

"Thank you," she breathed, the only thing she could think to say, especially since Caleb had been gone for a while now and no one had even _thought_ this could have been why she was so bitter, and with that Mona walked away, the conversation suddenly becoming too sappy for her.

Had Mona just shown... kindness?

* * *

**Oh Vanderjesus, how I adore thee. Like seriously, is there anything that girl CAN'T do?**

**Anyway, that concludes tonight's chapter, so I'll see you all tomorrow night, featuring Hanna bonding with one of the girls and Caleb growing a pair. Sound off in the reviews who you think Hanna will bond with, and what instigates Caleb's sudden courage!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Shout out to eveningshades1107 and Bagilia for getting such a kick out of a threesome with Mona Vanderwaal, aka my favorite part of that last chapter. AND shout out AGAIN to Bagilia for correctly guessing who Hanna will be bonding with this chapter! Also, yes, this story is dedicated to you, the most dedicated Haleb shipper I know ;) Sorry I'm updating so late this evening, guys, but I was out seeing _Frozen_ (has anyone seen it? Isn't it AMAZING?!). But I'm here now! So hopefully you enjoy this chapter, and be sure to leave a nice little review at the end!**

* * *

Hanna watched as Aria worked quickly, sifting through pencil skirts and frilly tops until she found a good combo. "Jesus, Han, how much clothes do you have?"

"I got some more from my grandma for Christmas," Hanna justified as she stood up and walked over to the closet, wondering why she was letting Aria pick out _another_ outfit for her after she had to suffer from blindness from the amount of neon she had chosen for her in the morning.

Aria bit her lip in concentration, analyzing the fabric content, color, and texture of each article of clothing. "What look do you want to go for?" she asked as she put back a hanger with a pair of leather pants on it that she had been staring at for 2 minutes straight. "Preppy formal, or sexy flirty?"

"Just do what you want," Hanna sighed, sitting down on the chair next to the closet as she nursed a growing migraine. "I don't really care."

Upon hearing this, Aria stopped in her tracks. She drew her eyes away from the closet and looked at Hanna, who looked the most sullen she'd looked in months.

Aria came over to the chair Hanna was sitting on and sat on the arm of it. "You're thinking about him, aren't you?"

Hanna froze, searching for a good excuse, but when she could find none, she sadly nodded her head. After all, there was only one "him" she could be talking about.

"But Hanna, you've been so good!"

"I know, I know," Hanna said defeatedly, "but the holidays used to be a thing we _shared!_"

Aria nodded her head as she gave Hanna's shoulder a gentle squeeze. "I can understand that."

And she could. Every year, around the holidays, Hanna and Caleb used to go all out. They would bake cookies, drink hot chocolate in front of the fireplace, and Caleb would even bring his mother's old jazz CDs for them to dance to in her living room, usually ending with her laughing her head off and him attacking her with kisses.

But this year, Hanna had had to drink her hot chocolate alone by the fire, and baking cookies with her mother just wasn't the same. And with the New Year coming up, for Hanna, that just meant another year without him.

As she reminisced on all of the good times, Hanna finally let a lone tear stroll down her cheek, one she was hoping would stay hidden until she was alone. "I… I even already bought his Christmas present back last February."

Aria's face fell. "Aww, Hanna."

"It's true!" Hanna croaked as she stood up from the chair, angrily stalking over to her dresser beside her bed. She opened the drawer and yanked out a small box, tenderly wrapped in festive paper and accented with a bow.

Aria's hazel eyes widened to the size of quarters. "You even wrapped it?"

"Well, how was I supposed to know?" Hanna exclaimed, startling Aria with her sudden emotions. "How was I supposed to know that mere months later, he would leave me for some skank in Ravenswood?"

"Hanna, you don't know all of the facts yet!" Aria offered up. "We all see through Caleb's bad boy act, he's basically a baby bunny deep down. He would never leave you voluntarily!"

"Tell that to my 900 unanswered phone calls from the past year," Hanna growled, before throwing the box to the ground and plopping herself back down on her unmade bed, lip trembling as she felt herself start to cry. Aria was immediately at her side, wrapping her little arms around Hanna's torso in a warm hug.

"We're not asking you to get better at the drop of a dime," she said affectionately, "but going to Paige's party might lift your spirits a little bit. And who knows! Maybe you'll meet someone there."

"I don't want to meet anyone," Hanna sniffled. "I just want Caleb."

Aria pondered this for a second before rising from the bed and walking back over to the closet. Within 2 seconds, she was back with a purple sweater dress and some black tights.

"Wear this," she suggested, handing the clothes to Hanna. "You'll look good in them, but it's not provocative at all. You'll just be having a good time."

Hanna drew closer to the clothes, inspecting them. The purple complemented the black leggings perfectly, and dark colors like that really brought out her eyes.

The combination actually wasn't half bad.

"And…" Aria took this time to pull something from behind her back and hand it to Hanna.

Hanna stared at them, perplexed. "What, did you shuck the skin off of a bird before you walked in my door?"

Aria looked insulted. "They're the feather earrings I gave you for Christmas… I thought you'd want to wear them tonight."

Hanna's heart melted. She had hidden the earrings away, hoping to forget about them later, but Aria had been so sweet to her lately that she took the earrings from her with a smile. "I'd love to wear them."

Aria's face lit up like the Christmas lights that hung around countless houses around town as she took Hanna's hands in hers. "And don't forget," she reminded, "Ezra's not gonna be there, so we can just be each other's dates."

Hanna laughed out loud as she pulled Aria in another hug. "Sounds like a plan."

After Aria had left Hanna to get changed and put her makeup on, Hanna lay back on the bed in a fit of giggles. She may not have the love of her life on her arm this evening, but she still had her best friends, and that should be enough.

Maybe this night wouldn't be too bad after all.

* * *

Caleb poked at his burger with his index finger, surprisingly not as hungry as he usually was. He and Olivia were on one side of the booth, trying not to appear awkward at the presence of Remy and Luke on the other side, cuddling and giggling loudly as they fed each other fries.

_One more day_, Caleb kept thinking to himself as he put his head in his hands. _Just one more day, and it'll be just another year. You don't have to think about her anymore._

Caleb took another sip of his ice water to try and sooth his headache as the waiter came around, giving them each individual checks to pay for their meals. Caleb sighed as he opened his, but when he saw the contents on the inside, he spit his water all across the table, soaking what was left of Remy and Luke's meal.

"What the hell, Caleb?" Luke said, aghast as he picked up his soaked napkin in disgust, but Caleb, once again, wasn't paying attention.

Inside the checkbook was a note. A vague note, but a note that held all the meaning in the world.

_118 Anderson Court. Rosewood, PA. Tonight. Meet me there if you care._

"What's the matter with you?" Luke asked again, and Caleb shot his head back up to meet the fury in Luke's eyes.

"I, uh..." Caleb tried to answer, but he found himself getting tongue-tied. He darted his eyes between looking at a furious Luke, a confused Olivia, a concerned Remy, and a now soaked piece of paper before him that, he noted, wasn't signed.

The tone of the note, as well as the typewriter neat handwriting, screamed A, but could it be someone else? And what did they mean by "if you care"? Could that be what he thought it was?

There were only a few people that he genuinely cared about, that he genuinely _could_ care about, in his life, and only one of those people lived in Rosewood, PA.

Before he could turn into a further blubbering mess, Caleb stood up from the booth and started to walk out of the restaurant, pulling his brown leather jacket tighter across his torso as he prepared to enter the cold outside, but he was stopped by a spindly hand grabbing his arm.

"Remy, let go," Caleb said, his voice leaving no room for joking around, but Remy was persistent.

"Caleb, I get it," she said firmly. "I get that you have issues with the holidays, just like the rest of us have issues with plenty of other stuff. But that doesn't mean you have to act like this - "

"Listen, I'm sorry about all of that, but I have to go," Caleb said apologetically as he tried to get away, but Remy kept a firm hold on his arm.

"I just want to know what this is all about!" she said desperately. "We've all gone through way too much to break apart like this - "

"We're _not_ breaking apart!" Caleb answered. Now he was starting to get angry, and he felt all of the emotion that he had been holding in for the past few days start to pour out. "I'm forever grateful that you guys have been so hospitable to me for the past year, but I don't cuddle up to too many people. I've been a little too busy jumping from family to family ever since I was seven to form a legitimate relationship with people, so if you're confused about what's going on, then you're gonna have to deal with it!"

"Well, obviously you've taken the time to form a legitimate relationship with whoever you're so upset about right now," Remy pointed out, and Caleb froze. Was it that obvious?

Remy just looked at him quizzically. "To be honest, I'm not sure which gave it away first," she said manifestly. "The dogeared picture of her you keep in your pocket all the time _or_ the wilted look you get on your face everytime you get a phone call and it's not her."

"You don't even know who she is," Caleb murmured, as he had never shared anything more than that he had a girlfriend back in Rosewood that he had to leave behind, perhaps for good, but Remy just shook her head.

"Maybe not," she said truthfully, "but she must be a really great girl if you're pining over her this much."

Caleb chewed on the inside of his cheek as he thought about this. Yeah, she was a great girl.

In fact, Hanna Marin was the best girl he'd ever met in his life.

"I'm not going to dig into your past for you," Remy said defeatedly, throwing her hands out to the side. "That's all you."

Caleb felt his skin tighten and his bottom lip tremble as he surveyed his surroundings. The beaten walls, the unwelcoming strangers, the uncannily gray tinge to the air, it was all a part of a town he had learned to call home for the past year, and there was still so much he had yet to find out. About the secrets it held.

Secrets that concerned him.

Ever since he was little, he had wanted to find out about who he was and where he came from, especially when his dad left. And his need to find out more had led toward him making some sacrifices, including one that he regretted greatly. One that led to the love of his life slipping from his fingers. At the time, he felt that this was the right decision, that friendships, and partnerships, weren't meant to last forever, yet ancestry was.

Now, he was beginning to realize this wasn't the case. He had the rest of his life to figure out where he came from, and Ravenswood was still going to be there by the time he got back, but there was only one Hanna Marin.

He didn't even know if this note was what he thought it was, but if his instincts were correct, he would see her tonight. God, he wanted to see her tonight.

"Remy," Caleb finally breathed, breaking free from his thoughts. "I'll be back by tomorrow night. But today, this evening, there's somewhere I need to be. Someone I need to see."

"Maybe when you get back, you'll bring stories?" Remy offered up just as Caleb was about to turn back around and head out the door. Immediately, Caleb knew what she was suggesting.

Maybe, she and the others could be a part of the select group of people he had chosen to let in.

Maybe, they could help him break free from the past, and help him live in the present.

Just like Hanna had.

"Yeah, maybe," Caleb said pleasantly, before zipping up his jacket and walking out as Remy went back to the table, helping the others clean up the rest of the water.

* * *

**Caleb's coming to Rosewood! Is he being sent to Hanna? Who do you think wrote that note? Was it A? One of the girls? Could it have been an ex-lover? Oh my god, COULD SEAN ACKARD HAVE SENT HIM TO HANNA?! While I let you chew on that, be sure to review/follow/favorite/WHATEVER if you liked this, and I'll see you all tomorrow for the final installment of this story!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey guys! Happy New Year! (I just realized I hadn't even said that yesterday, and I apologize) So we've now reached the final installment to this story, and I'm very excited for you all to see the ending. I hope you've enjoyed this story as much as I have, and if you have, don't forget to either review/follow/favorite/WHATEVER to let me know. And also, you can find me on my other story, So Cold, which I'm about halfway through right now, so I suggest you check that out if you haven't already! Happy Holidays, everyone, and have a great year :)**

* * *

Hanna filled her red solo cup to the brim with sparkling cider before walking back over to the couch, where Emily was sitting. Well, if one could call it sitting - she was currently hunched over in a fit of laughter as she and a few girls from the swim team were watching Paige dominate a game of Dance Dance Revolution.

She had to admit, it was a pretty entertaining sight. The song was "So What" by P!nk, the level was expert, and the dance moves required were so intensive that Paige looked like a strung out anime character with the way her arms and legs were flailing about in an attempt to match up with the arrows on the screen.

Finally, the song ended, and Paige let out several long, much needed breaths as she was met by several whoops and hollers by the party guests. Paige swatted them all away as someone else rose to the challenge of playing the game, and she plopped down on the couch next to her girlfriend, accidentally separating her from Hanna.

"Great job, babe," Emily said sexily as she gave Paige a peck on the cheek, but Hanna watched as the small peck turned into something longer, and before she knew it they were fully making out right next to her.

Not wanting to be the third wheel, Hanna awkwardly rose from the couch, muttering something about going to get more cider as she waded through the endless mounds of party decor, streamers, balloons, and the large crowds of people who were either conversing about plans for the New Year, chugging large amounts of suspicious beverages (Paige hadn't supplied any alcohol for the party, but she said she wouldn't be surprised if anyone else had gone to the trouble of bringing any), or getting intimate, the worst sight for Hanna at this time.

Once Hanna had _finally_ gotten to the table to get more cider, she nearly slapped herself at the realization that she had already gotten some nearly 30 seconds ago, and sighed as she made her way to the other side of the room, which was slightly less crowded, and leaned against the wall as she watched a growingly intense game of ping pong.

"15 minutes until the New Year!" Hanna heard a voice chirp, and when she turned she saw Aria walk up next to her, wearing a black lace dress with a brown braided belt and heels.

Hanna groaned. "Don't remind me."

Aria furrowed her brow in confusion, but her confusion soon transposed to sadness. "I thought you were having fun?"

"I was," Hanna said with a sigh. "But everyone here seems to be having a way better time than I am... probably because they have someone to have a good time _with..._"

Aria's perplexed expression then transposed _again_ to one of understanding. "Believe me, I know," she pointed out as her eyes wandered to the far wall, where, in a dark corner, Spencer and Toby were giving each other eskimo kisses.

Hanna let out a small laugh. She didn't like the fact that Aria had to be by herself at New Year's, but it was nice to have someone to share her misery with. "The ball hasn't even _dropped_ yet, and everyone's already getting it on."

Aria rolled her eyes. "She asked me to get her a chocolate eclair," she scoffed, "and when I came back, _with_ the eclair she had requested, he was swallowing her face!"

"Welcome to my world," Hanna giggled as she linked arms with Aria's. But soon after, she met her with eyes filled with gloom. "Seriously, though, it sucks that Ezra can't be here."

Aria just shrugged. "In a room filled with his former students?" she said sardonically. "Please. I saw him this morning, and now I get to spend my _evening_ with you guys!"

Hanna pumped her fist in the air as she continued to watch the game before her unfold. Ben Coogan had just scored, and was now chest bumping several of his teammates, but Hanna didn't get to see the rest of the celebration unfold due to Aria's phone ringing.

Aria reached into her pocket, but didn't show any reaction when she answered it. Hanna guessed this was on purpose, but she internally scolded herself for assuming things. "Hello?" she said brightly into the phone. But as she listened in, her smile fell slightly. "Oh... you are?"

After a brief pause, she held her finger up to Hanna and walked away to finish the conversation. Hanna wondered what the conversation could have been about, or even who she was talking to, but she didn't have time to think about it further as a tall, lanky frame, decked out in a sky blue sundress, came into her vision.

"Hey, why are you here by yourself?" Spencer asked, slinking her arm around Hanna's shoulder.

"Oh, I'm not," Hanna explained breezily - or at least, she was _attempting _to sound breezy, but the crack in her tone gave her away. "Aria was here, but she had to answer a phone call."

Spencer nodded her head, but her vertical nod soon turned horizontal as she conjured the universal sign for "no". Hanna wondered what was wrong, but Spencer soon started speaking.

"Hanna, why didn't you tell us you still missed Caleb?" she said quietly, so quietly that Hanna had to strain her ears to hear her speak over the hum of party noises around her.

Hanna's heart stopped. She was hoping the girls would have just ignored her exchange with Mona from earlier, and what it had revealed. Eventually, she hung her head in shame. "It doesn't make sense for me to still miss him," she confessed. "It's been almost a year since he left, since our _informal breakup_, and - "

"Hanna," Spencer said sternly, grasping Hanna by the shoulders. "You know we're here for you, and that we don't _care_ if you're being irrational, which you're honestly not!"

Hanna was taken aback by this. "I'm not?"

"Of course not," Spencer said sincerely, as if this were the most obvious thing in the world. "The holidays are a naturally nostalgic time of year, and it's perfectly okay for you to be miserable. I just wish you had told us."

Hanna rose the corners of her mouth slightly. "I guess I just didn't tell you because I didn't want you to think I was tired of you guys."

At this, Spencer snorted. "Now is _not _the time for us to be getting tired of each other," she said bluntly, and Hanna laughed.

"But there's something else..." she said softly, and Spencer's ears perked up as she leaned in to listen more closely as the volume of the music coming from the TV raised slightly.

"I..." Hanna started, before swallowing loudly. "I didn't want to be holding back the rest of your love lives."

Spencer froze, her brown eyes rounder than frisbees as she glanced behind her at Toby, who was about ten feet away and slouched against the far wall as he was scrolling through his phone. Then, Spencer leaned in to encase Hanna in a long hug, squeezing tightly.

"Not in a million years," she said honestly as she rubbed circles along Hanna's back, and Hanna nested her head on Spencer's shoulder, hoping she could hold onto this moment for as long as possible before Spencer went back to Toby.

"Sorry about that," Aria apologized as she entered the scene again, and Spencer and Hanna broke apart to greet her.

Hanna looked at her, puzzled. "What was that about?" she asked, referring to the phone call she had answered.

Aria puffed her cheeks filled with air before releasing the air shortly afterward. "It was nothing," she said passively as she took a sip of her punch in her hand, but Hanna was persistent.

"Was that Ezra?" she asked suspiciously, and Spencer joined in, eying Aria fishily. Aria's eyes widened, but she soon cracked under the pressure.

"Yes," she confessed, and Hanna dropped her arms down to her sides in frustration.

"Why aren't you with him right now then?!"

"He said he was waiting outside, that he had decided to come after all, but I told him no," Aria explained as she grabbed Hanna's hand. "I'd rather be in here with you!"

Hanna shook her head. "You shouldn't have done that."

"Why not?"

"Because you have an opportunity to be with him tonight, and you're not taking it!" Hanna exclaimed.

"Hanna - "

"Go out and see him," Hanna ordered, but there wasn't any anger in her tone. There was permission, as well as sincerity. She just wanted her friends to be happy, and like she had said to Spencer, she didn't want to hold any of them back.

"Seriously, go," she continued. "I'll be here when you get back."

Aria looked shocked. "Are you sure?"

"I'm sure!" Hanna said hastily, breaking out into a warm smile. Aria beamed as she encased Hanna in a tight, grateful hug.

"Thank you thank you _thank you!_"

"Save it for your man!" Hanna squeaked out, pushing Aria off of her. Aria laughed as she gave Hanna a loving kiss on the cheek, and then sauntered excitedly out the door.

"That was really thoughtful of you," Spencer said proudly next to her. Hanna shrugged in response, but before she could say anything else, something caught her eye.

"Spence, hold my drink," she said blankly as she held her cup out for Spencer to grab. Spencer took it in confusion, but before she could ask what was wrong Hanna had walked away.

She had seen something. Some_one_.

That brown hair. That clear skin. Those cheekbones.

His _smile_.

She was walking faster now, disregarding the people she had so cautiously waded through before. They meant nothing to her now. All she wanted was to see him.

"Caleb," she breathed once she had reached him, and he turned to her immediately. It took a second to process, but his brown eyes suddenly lit up as he lurched forward, ignoring everyone around him as he embraced her, taking in the scent of her peppermint perfume, something so small that he never thought he'd miss so much.

But most importantly, he missed her.

He soon pulled back. "I missed you so much."

"What are you doing here?" she asked excitedly, but just as soon as her spirits had lifted did they fall again.

Did he even want to see her? Was that really why he came back?

Caleb's smile faded as his featured contorted into a serious expression. "I was told to come here," he said solemnly.

"By who?"

"I don't know," he said honestly. "I got a note telling me to come here, and I had no idea it was Paige's house!"

"You didn't?"

Caleb shook his head. "All it had was an address, and it wasn't signed or anything!"

Hanna felt the color drain from her face. "Could it have been A? Oh god, if A did something to you - "

"Hanna," Caleb interrupted. "It's fine. A did nothing to me. I don't even know if A had sent it! There wasn't even an initial or anything. For all I know, one of your friends could have done it!"

"But can you blame me for worrying? I haven't seen you in forever, and I didn't know if something had happened - "

"None of that matters now, though," he said sincerely as he tucked a strand of blond hair behind her ear. "I don't care who gave it to me. All that matters is that they brought us together. I'm here with you now, and that's all I want."

Hanna felt her heart swell as Caleb kept talking, his voice clear as a bell over the sounds around him, which had dimmed out in Hanna's mind. "I thought it was the right decision to leave you behind," he confessed grimly. "I should have never put you second, I should have never ignored your calls, I should have never left your side. I was selfish, and I will regret it for the rest of my life."

"Caleb, don't say that," Hanna said softly. "You deserve to know what happened with your family."

"But I also deserve you," he countered, and Hanna blushed.

"I am so lucky to have you in my life, and I can't believe I let you go so easily," he said brashly as he shook his head at the realization. "But not anymore."

Hanna's heart was now so big it had leaped into her throat, ready to burst from her body and fly away into the night. "Does that mean you're leaving Ravenswood? Does that mean you're coming back?"

Caleb bit his lip, thinking about this. "It means that someday I will," he said truthfully. "It means that when I'm ready, I know where to come."

Hanna wasn't sure how she liked this answer, but Caleb kept going.

"I don't know where I'm going to end up in my life. I've been all over the place, and I would've never considered that out of all of the places I've been, Rosewood would be the one I would want to stay in. But now I know that wherever you are, is where I want to be."

Hanna was speechless, and as she stood there, staring into Caleb's eyes, still filled with that cheeky wisdom she had come to adore, she heard even more commotion in the background.

"20 seconds until the New Year!" Paige shouted, and several people around her clapped as she changed the channel to the national news station, where the camera showed New York City, filled with people in striped sunglasses and carrying pom poms. They were all cheering as well as the ball got ready to drop.

Caleb turned to Hanna, cleverly smiling as he grabbed her hand and pulled her over to the TV. Hanna complied, nearly walking on air as she followed.

"5... 4... 3... 2..."

"One," Caleb said as he leaned in for a kiss, and Hanna stood on her toes to touch her lips to his in the longest, passionate kiss they had ever shared since the last time they had been together. Hanna ran her hands through his hair, refusing to let go, and he wrapped his arms around her small waist as he deepened the kiss, ignoring the loud sounds of horns and congratulations around them. Sparks were flying, and they both knew that it wasn't due to the fireworks on the television. Hanna soon realized that Caleb was right. It didn't matter who had brought him here. All that mattered was that he was here.

Finally, after what seemed like hours, they pulled apart. Caleb cocked his head to the side, admiring her beauty as he cupped her face in his hands, honored to call her his. "Happy New Year, Hanna," he said warmly, subtly, but inside he was screaming.

Hanna giggled cheerfully as she snuggled into his strong chest. "You know you're spending all of tomorrow telling me about your crazy adventures in that ghost town," she joked, and Caleb laughed along with her as he kissed her hair, promising to fill her in.

It was a night to remember, that was for sure.

* * *

Mona tugged her black hood tighter around her ears as she looked up from her position in the bushes into the mansion, where numerous teenagers were jumping up and down in celebration of the New Year, and couples were intertwined in a passionate embrace, locking lips as the ball dropped. Immediately, she spotted Paige and Emily, and then Spencer and Toby, and on her way over she had spotted Aria and Ezra getting off right outside so that they weren't in view of any curious students.

As Mona looked in closer, she soon spotted whom she was looking for. There, in the near center of the room, was Hanna and Caleb, holding onto each other for dear life as their mouths connected, a circuit unwilling to be unbroken as electricity flowed through it. Mona pursed her lips and nodded her head, considering her task done. She had come to ensure that he had gotten the note, and sure enough, he had.

She had done her duty for the night.

With that, Mona stood up, as Noel was waiting for her in his car, but before she dismissed it completely, she glanced once more into the window. Hanna was now smiling, the happiest she had looked in ages, as she leaned into Caleb's embrace. And with that, Mona found herself smiling, too. Whether it was with happiness, she wasn't sure, but she was smiling.

"Happy New Year, Hanna," she said sadly to herself. "You're welcome."


End file.
